Dawn of the Little Sun
by mochi2isluv
Summary: Old Man Orange finds a lone wolf pup one year after Amaterasu's journey. With the help of other youngsters, Chibiterasu sets off on a quest to find out what happened to his mother, and why demons are once again terrorizing Nippon. DISCONTINUED.
1. At the Kamiki Festival

"…and that is the story of how the great swordsman Nagi, along with the help of the white wolf Shiranui, defeated the dreaded monster Orochi and saved all of Nippon."

Old Man Orange completed his tale and beamed at the children looking up at him with their wide eyes. Today was the Kamiki Festival, and people from all over Nippon came to visit. There was Yui, the daughter of the merchant; Umeboshi, the great-granddaughter of Onigiri Sensei; Camille and Camellia, who, despite being made fun of by the city girls her age, decided to listen to the stories and keep her faith alive; Mushi, along with his baby brother Tonbo; Kokari and his dog, Ume; and the cousins, Jun and Daisuke, who had difficulty staying in one place for too long. Mr. Orange had taken the children and told them tales, finishing off with the legend of Nagi and Shiranui, which was his personal specialty.

Susano's boy, Nushi, was particularly enthralled, though perhaps less with the morals of the story and more with the fact that his ancestor was the main hero. The little boy jumped up, a wooden sword in his hand. He looked the spitting image of his father, complete with the square, angular face and unruly, charcoal black hair. "Nagi's my ancestor!" he chortled proudly. "And I am the son of the greatest swordsman ever! Tell them the story of how my pops single-handedly destroyed the demon for the second time!" Nushi waved his sword about for greater effect. Mr. Orange rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if there was any part of Kushi in that boy at all.

"Did you forget, Snowy was the one who saved us," Mushi replied, leaning casually against the doorframe. He was already fifteen years old, which Mr. Orange found hard to believe. He was getting tall and lanky, with thick curly hair and a handsome face to make his mother proud. "I would never forget a dog like that! He was the Digging Champ, right, Hayabusa?"

Hayabusa barked and wagged his tail.

Nushi pouted and was about to make some retort when Mrs. Orange popped her head through the door. "Just finished a batch of cherry cakes! Anyone that wants some, come out and get it!"

The children all scrambled outside after her, squealing with delight. Mr. Orange chuckled. There would be no more cherry cakes left by the time he got his old bones to move. He sobered up a bit thinking about his old bones, and hobbled his way out of the house. It was a beautiful, clear night tonight. The moon was as full and round as the belly of Mushi's Mama, who had miraculously gotten herself fully pregnant again less than three months after having her second son. The air was fresh and warm and smelled of cherry blossoms, which was always a pleasant sign that things were going well in the village. Konohana was blooming around this time of year, and he had never seen her prettier.

He hobbled up the path to Konohana's shrine, where he had also erected another statue of Shiranui to replace the one that was destroyed earlier. Some fireworks boomed in the distance, casting a magnificent display of colors over the water surrounding the village. It was very beautiful.

Mr. Orange approached the shrine and bowed his head to give his thanks to the white wolf, as he did every year during the festival of the moon. As he did so, he thought of something strange. It seemed as if the statue had come to life. A warm pressure was on his knees, and something cold touched his cheek. Startled, he opened his eyes and found a small white puppy staring at him with its deep black eyes, a playful expression on its face. He blinked rapidly. Was this a dream? Had the statue of Shiranui come to life? He glanced at the statue, but it was intact. Then where had this puppy come from…?

The puppy snatched his moment of confusion to attack his face with its tongue. "Gah! Stop it! That tickles! What are you doing, you silly pup?" he cried. He grabbed hold of the squirming puppy and held it a safe distance away from his face.

"A white wolf, hmm?" he mused. "You really do look like Shiranui."

The pup wriggled and squirmed with delight. It must be a sign of good luck! Mr. Orange thought, and carried it down to the village with him.

"You really are just like your mom, aren'tcha?" said Issun to the white wolf up at Sakuya's tree, minutes before Old Man Orange arrived. The pup had bounded up on Sakuya, and the tree sprite laughed delightedly at its irresistible cuteness. While the pup appeared white to a casual observer, the Poncle and the tree sprite knew better. The signature red markings of a divine beast painted his sides and his face, and the ends of his white tail appeared to have been dipped in black ink. "You sure are small…a little Ammy-chibi, huh?" Issun's face brightened with an idea. "Chibiterasu, huh? How's that? Since we don't know your name or anything…"

The pup wagged its tail. Just like his mother, he had no qualms about garnering nicknames, and to be honest, he would much rather be called Chibiterasu, after his mother's name, Amaterasu. From what he had heard of her from the little Poncle, she had been an amazing goddess, and he felt stronger having a name derived from hers.

"Chibi it is, then!" Issun said happily. "So, Sakuya, what'll we do with Chibi now?"

The tree sprite became sober, a sad shadow darkening her pale, peachy face. "It's quite strange," she murmured. "I called upon Amaterasu, and yet her son appears. It makes me wonder what could have happened in the heavens, for her to be so occupied as to send a half-fledged godling in her place."

"Woah, woah, woah, back up one step, babe," said Issun. "You said 'half-fledged godling'?"

Sakuya nodded, looking just as perplexed as Issun. "Chibiterasu is very young, so he hasn't had time to make his presence known in the human world. If no one knows of him, it will be hard for him to gain the power he needs to help Nippon, right?"

Both Chibi and Issun cocked their heads at her with a lost look on their faces. Sakuya sighed. "Issun, you remember how Amaterasu was before she defeated Orochi the second time?"

They nodded. "She was weak because few people believed in her, correct?"

Another nod. Alright. At least they were getting somewhere. "Gods are like that. They need people's faith and praise to grow stronger. Chibiterasu has none of that, making him a fledging god. See, he is not nearly strong enough to wield a divine instrument."

Chibi bowed his head, embarrassed and ashamed.

"Now now, don't beat yourself up about it!" Issun said. "At least you've got your mom's Celestial Brush, right?" He gestured to Chibi's tail. "You'll show them whatcha got, and then you'll be loading all those praise before ya know it!"

"Yes, you mean _you'll_ show them what you've got, Mr. Celestial Envoy," said Sakuya, folding her slender arms over her scantily clad chest.

Issun cringed. "Don't look at me, my job was done one year ago!" he argued. "Besides, there can only be one Celestial Envoy per god. Standard Poncle rules!"

"What Poncle rules? I bet you just avoid working, don't you, little bug?"

"I told you, I'm not a bug!" steamed Issun.

Chibi barked, and the two of them ceased arguing. Mr. Orange was walking up the path.

"Aha!" Sakuya's face lit up. "Of course! Why didn't we think of this before?"

"Erm, think of what, babe?"

She ignored him and bent down to talk to Chibi. "Chibiterasu, if you want to become stronger and rescue Nippon from the shadows in its future, there is no better way than to join forces with a human. Together, you will protect each other, and at the same time, you will make a presence for yourself in their world. Aid them in their quests, Chibiterasu. I'm sure you will find what you seek in the end."

So that was how, twelve hours later, Chibi found himself staring into the face of a red-cheeked young boy with unruly black hair.

"Why do I hafta take care of the dog?" Nushi asked. "Can't Mushi do it? He actually likes dogs. And plus, I'm busy with my training." He chopped the air a couple times with his sword.

"Nushi, this isn't just any dog," Old Man Orange explained. "This is a white wolf, just like the ones that helped your father and ancestor defeat Orochi."

That got the boy's attention. He stopped swinging the sword and looked up at Mr. Orange, deadly serious. "I thought they beat Orochi all by themselves."

Gah! Thought Mr. Orange. What has Susano been teaching this boy?

"I'm sorry, Mr. Orange," said Kushi. "We try to teach him to respect the gods, but he just hears what he wants."

Chibi cocked his head. Nushi snorted and crossed his arms. "Why should I believe in the gods anyway? Do you see _them_ fighting demons?" The boy pulled out his sword and held it in front of him, kendo style. "I won't believe in anything I can't do with my own strength!" He sprung forward suddenly and brought the sword down on a tiny sapling, which broke clean in half.

"But you are not nearly strong enough to go out there on your own," said Mr. Orange. "That's why, if you want to defeat demons so badly, I'll only let you go if you take this wolf with you. White wolves bring luck, and he'll keep you safe. Right, Snowball?"

Chibi barked.

Nushi frowned down at the puppy. Sometimes he wondered if Old Man Orange had finally lost it. Wolves that bring luck? The only thing he'd ever seen them bring were dead mice. Even so, it was only a small favor in exchange for freedom...

"Alright, Poochie, you can come along. But don't get in my way, cuz I can't guarantee you won't get sliced!"


	2. Further Complications

**A/N: Okay, sorry I updated so late, my writer's block was acting up again, plus it didn't help much that life booked itself on my calendar for the past two weeks and ate me (don't worry, it happens all the time).  
**

**But anyway, to all those who were wondering, this is completely based off the upcoming sequel to Okami, Okamiden. I'm working off what I know of the plot so far, and everything beyond that is pure speculation on my part. How cool would that be if I was right though...(oh, the longings of a fangirl). Anyway, hope you enjoy what I've got and hope this manages to help ease your impatience for the game (since it comes out in spring in America). Oh yeah, and please review. :)  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OKAMI OR ITS SEQUEL.**

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Chapter 2: Further Complications  
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There was only one problem.

"Wow," Nushi said. "What idiot puts a boulder right smack dab in the middle of the pass?"

The boulder was unnecessarily huge, and, as Nushi put it, placed so inconveniently that it completely blocked the entrance in and out of the village. No demons can enter, but no one leaves. Chibi thought about the children from outside who visited at the festival and wondered vaguely how they managed to get past.

Or maybe they didn't. He caught sight of the messenger cousins Jun and Daisuke jogging restlessly around Susano's hut, waiting for someone to move the boulder out of the way so they could run back home.

"A-_hem_." Nushi and Chibi jumped around. Nushi's father, Susano, was standing behind them, scowling down at them with his arms crossed.

"Good timing, Pops!" Nushi exclaimed. "Some idiot shoved a rock in our path, and—"

"That_ idiot_," Susano interrupted, his voice rumbling in a way that indicated he was not very amused, "was me."

Nushi's face froze. "…Oh."

"And I was going to take it down," he added. "…until I heard my son call me an idiot. And I don't like being called an idiot, if you know what I mean."

Chibi did not know what he meant, but he barked and wagged his tail for good measure. Susano was quite funny, even without meaning to be.

"Sorry Pops, but how are we supposed to fight monsters if we can't leave?" Nushi asked, a slight whining tremor in his voice.

"Not my problem," Susano rumbled. "Old Man Orange instructed me to put that thing up for the festival, so no demons would sneak in and attack. Why, when I was your age, I sliced up a rock even bigger 'an this one with my trusty sword, Tsukuyomi!" He whipped the sword from behind his back and the sun hit it so that it shined. Somehow Chibi sensed the conversation was steadily getting away from the point.

Nushi looked at his little wooden sword, which hung at his side. Then he took a deep breath and turned to face his father with his eyes shining with resolve. "So it's a test!" he exclaimed. "I'll slice that rock clean in half, all by myself, just like you did, Pops!"

Susano nodded curtly. "That's my boy." He seemed to have forgotten that his son called him an idiot before. He patted Nushi on the head and swaggered away, feeling accomplished somehow. Nushi squared his shoulders and held out his sword, then gave a war cry and leapt at the ginormous boulder. He hacked and sliced but the rock wouldn't budge. Chibi lay down and yawned. After a couple more tries without so much as making a dent, Nushi became frustrated and threw his sword at the ground beside Chibi.

"I can't do it," he said miserably. He looked close to tears. "Why can't—"

Chibi grabbed a mouthful of Nushi's clothes and dragged him away from the boulder, across the bridge, through Mushi's Mama's field of turnips, and up the hill. Nushi squirmed violently and threatened to escape numerous times, but a wolf's grip is stronger than it seems and Chibi was determined.

"Where are you taking me, stupid Poochie? We're going away from the rock!"

At last, Chibi dragged the boy through the shrine gates and stopped in front of Sakuya's tree, weary and panting. A gap at the base of the tree glowed brightly, inviting the boy and the wolf cub inside. Chibi looked at Nushi, not sure if he was seeing the same thing. This was the entrance to River of the Heavens, where the statue of Nagi was also enshrined, but usually only spiritual beings could see the true form of the River. For all Chibi knew, the boy could be seeing only the wide truck of the tree.

"The shrine," Nushi muttered. "You're right, Poochie. I guess I should've prayed for strength first."

Together they walked into the light and entered the shrine. Chibi found himself alone in the River of the Heavens, but he peered down through the water and saw Nushi far below, walking through a beautiful garden to the shrine of his ancestors. Chibi leapt into the shimmering water, but the river abruptly stopped in midair and lapped softly against the dark sky. Chibi whined and tried vainly to swim across despite the lack of river.

"Hey, Fur-Brain, you forgetting somethin'?"

Chibi turned around and spotted a small green glow bouncing up and down at the bank of the River of the Heavens. He climbed out of the water and gave himself a good shake all over Issun.

"Hey hey, watch it, Fur-Brain! Paper's not water-proof, ya know!" The Poncle pouted but quickly recovered. "Anyway, I wanted to give you this. It was somethin' your mom would've wanted you to have." He pulled out a scroll a hundred times too big for him to have carried if Poncles were possibly normal creatures, and Chibi grabbed it in his mouth.

"Hey, what'd I tell you about paper and water, Fur-Brain?" Issun scolded, snatching the scroll back out of Chibi's mouth. "Here, lemme open it up for ya."

Issun unraveled the scroll, which was very long because it had been painted with all the brush gods. At the top was a great dragon riding a scroll, and underneath the dragon was a rat wielding a giant sword. There were three monkeys playing instruments and surrounded in flowers, a giant boar balancing on a bomb, a water snake curled up inside a circular flask, a rabbit with a giant red hammer, a gallant-looking steed with its mane tangling in the wind, a brilliant red phoenix smoking a long pipe, a sheep with a heavy red gourd on its back, a cat crouching on a wall, a fierce tiger roaring at the sky with a giant golden bow on its back, and an ox pulling along a sack full of snow. Finally, at the bottom was a painting of a stunning white wolf with a beautiful red and turquoise swirling reflector on her back.

"That was your mom at her finest," Issun explained. "The others are the other twelve brush gods. I thought it'd be useful—ya know, to remind you of your quest and stuff. Besides, I'm sure the brush gods'll be there to help whenever you need it, which I'm absolutely positive you'll need it. I mean, even your mom would've been in a heap of trouble without them. I painted that whole thing, by the way," he added, noticing Chibi's awed expression at his artwork. Chibi glanced at him cynically. "What? I did! Well if you won't appreciate it, I'll just take it back!" Issun hopped around to snatch the scroll back when Chibi decided it was time to play. He crouched down with his rump in the air and snapped his mouth at Issun, trying to catch the little Poncle in his mouth. Up in the dark night sky, a patch of stars shimmered brightly on the two creatures, and Issun stole this opportunity to direct Chibi's attention at something other than himself, who was about to become a chew toy.

"Chibi, take a look up there! It's a brush god constellation!"

Chibi stopped playing with Issun and looked up at the sky, where a line of stars formed something that was almost a constellation.

"It's time to practice your powers, Chibi," Issun instructed. "Use your Celestial Brush to finish that constellation. If I remember correctly, this one must be…"

Chibi finished dabbing a star in the sky, and immediately they were whisked into the bright clouds, where they were met with two small white seahorses holding golden pots of ink.

"Erm, so I'm guessing either I'm not remembering correctly, or I was really out of it last time," Issun mumbled.

The seahorses ignored him and turned to Chibi with a distressed look on their faces.

_Hail Chibiterasu. Much has happened while we were parted. We are the children of Yomigami, the god of restoration._

"Wait, why are we meeting Yomigami's children? Where's Yomigami?" Issun looked about, but all he could see were swirling yellow clouds and mountains.

_Our father has disappeared, and we do not know where he has gone,_ the dragon children explained. _As his children, we are not nearly as strong, but we will do whatever it takes to aid you in your quest and find out what has happened to our parents in the Celestial Plain._

From the golden inkpots came a flurry of sparkling glitter that conjoined into a single, glowing white orb with the kanji for restoration. It soared around the seahorses and disappeared into Chibi's chest.

_Something is stirring, Chibiterasu, _the dragon children said fearfully. _That is why the demons have returned. That is why the River of the Heavens has been stopped. The gods will not come down from heaven, and they send their children in their place. But we are too weak, and too powerless to stop the evil from spreading throughout the human world. Chibiterasu, we will be there for you when you need us. Use our power, and restore Nippon!_

The mountains disappeared, and the clouds darkened until they were standing where they had been before, on a grassy plain by the sparkling River of the Heavens, underneath the dark night sky.

Issun did not like the sound of things at all. Ammy couldn't be reached, and now the brush gods? Something evil was indeed stirring, if it could keep such powerful gods retained in the Celestial Plain.

He was about to say something to Chibi when he saw the little wolf had already restored and crossed the river, and was now about to enter Nagi's shrine. Chibi looked back and barked at him. It was a question. _Are you coming, or not?_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, you little rascal," Issun replied, bouncing after him. "Looks like you're gonna play an even bigger role than we thought," he muttered darkly, and together they went to join Nushi in prayer.

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**A/N: I promise the next update will be sooner. I have ideas, and inspiration, which is always a good thing. Please review and feel free to add things you'd like to see: Japanese myths you like, characters you'd like to see returned, etc.**


	3. Important AN

**IMPORTANT A/N:**

**I'm sorry to say, but I'll be discontinuing this fic. I decided the ideas I had for this one fit better with my new story, In the Shadow of the Moon, so I'm focusing my attentions on that instead. I might still leave this up for a while as kind of beginning-of-the-game-speculation type fic, and unless I have a new idea for the plot (which is unlikely), I'll continue.**

**To all of you who favorited and alerted this story, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience...my inspiration for this fic was sacrificed for the sake of another. T^T**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed what I had (all short 2 chapters of it...) and if you liked this and wanted more, don't be discouraged. I have high hopes for my other story, which was why I felt the need for this one to be sacrificed. Please check it out. Reviews would be much appreciated as well.**

**Thank you all for reading.**

**-mochi  
**


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